Golf practice cup



May 27, 1958 J. E. BORAH 2,836,422

GOLF PRACTICE CUP Filed July 21, 1955 IN VEN TOR. L/OH/V 5. 5024/1.

United States Patent (3 GOLF PRACTICE CUP John E. Borah, Mishawaka, lurl.

Application July 21, 1955, Serial No. 523,547

6 Claims. (Cl. 273-178) This invention relates to a game device, and more particularly to a golf practice cup which can be used upon a flat surface, such as a floor, a pavement, or upon the ground, to receive and trap a ball rolled thereto.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a game device which may be used upon a flat or substantially flat sruface, and which will effectively trap and retain a ball directed properly thereat with minimum resistance to or deflection of the path of travel of the ball as it travels toward the target position.

A further object is to provide a device of this character so constructed as to provide a suction grip thereof upon the surface on which it is placed, so that the device will resist displacement when contacted by a ball.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is formed of flexible material shaped to define a cup having an upwardly inwardly tapering Wall portion projecting from a base, wherein the wall portion of the cup and the junction thereof with an outwardly projecting base flange are of thin section to accommodate flexing thereof, so that a ball may roll freely against the device without substantial deflection of the ball from its intended path as it rolls into the cup.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having a flexible cup provided with integral ribs in spaced relation and of adequate strength and rigidity to assure normal positioning of the cup in selected shape and in target position, and to provide assured return of the cup toward normal shape after yielding thereof under a ball rolled thereover.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having a cup of downwardly flaring shape which is formed of flexible material of thin section reinforced by spaced integral thickened ribs to accommodate deforming only of the portion of the cup over which a ball travels in moving toward the center of the device, and which has an upper inwardly projecting flange held substantially flat in normal position.

A further object is to provide a device of this character including a readily deformable cup with a base constructed to retard motion of a ball which rolls therein and to reduce rebound and bouncing of the ball when it is trapped within the cup.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having a flexible cup portion so constructed as to receive and retain therein a ball directed accurately thereat in such a manner as to eliminate bouncing or rebound of the ball and to resist displacement of the device by the ball upon a supporting surface.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the device, illustrating a part thereof deflected to accommodate passage of a ball therein;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 2 and illustrating a modified embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of another modified embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designates a bottom wall or sheet which is formed of thin section and which is preferably shaped to be slightly crowned so that its bottom surface is concave and its central portion normally has slight clearance with a supporting surface, such as the surface of a floor, a pavement or the ground, as designated by the numeral 12 in Fig. 2. The base or bottom portion 10 will preferably have a series of close spaced vertically projecting thin flexible lugs or finger projections 14 formed integrally therewith at the central portion thereof, as seen in Fig. 2. A marginal flange portion 16 is formed integrally with the base sheet ll? and preferably tapers to a thin or feather edge at its outer margin. The flange 16 is so constructed that it will lie flat upon the supporting surface 12 and, in association with the crowned or upwardly ofi'set bottom wall it will define a structure having suction cup action with the flat supporting surface. In other words, the structure has a grip upon the supporting surface which prevents, or at least retards, sliding thereof upon the surface and which resists lifting thereof from the surface.

An annular cup wall portion 18 is formed integraliy with the parts 10 and 16 and projects upwardly from the junction thereof to define the continuous side wall of the cup. The wall portion 18 is preferably of upwardly tapering shape, curved in an axial direction, as best seen in Fig. 2, so that the angular displacement between the surface 12 and lines drawn tangent to the curve in the plane of the paper in Fig. 2 progressively increases toward the top or free end of said wall portion 18. Thus the Wall portion 18 merges with the top surface of the flange 16 in a very gradual curve, while the free upper marginal portion of the wall portion 18 is substantiahy perpendicular to the base 19. A plurality of reinforcing ribs 20, of substantially uniform shape and uniform spacing circumferentially of the wall portion, are formed integrally with the wall portion 18. These ribs or thickened portions 20 of the cup wall portion 18 preferably extend for the major portion of the vertical dimension of the cup wall portion 18 but terminate at their lower ends at 22 spaced from the bottom panel 14 The arrangement of the parts is such that the thick inner margin of the tapered flange 16 will preferably be of a thickness substantially equal to the combined thicknesses of the bottom panel 10 and the thin portions of the cup wall 18 between the ribs 25) and below said ribs. Cons quently, the cup is capable of flexing or deforming in the manner illustrated at the right-hand side in 2 when a ball 24 rolls thereagainst. Yielding of the cup wall portion in this manner is accommodated by the thin webs 26 of the cup 18 between the ribs 26 thereof in addition to the thin cup walls below the edges 22 of said ribs. The upper margin of the cup wall 13 preferably has a narrow flange 28 projecting inwardly therefrom. The flange 23 is uniform in width, is of thin flexible character, and normally lies in a substantially flat horizontal plane. The junction of the flange 23 with the cup wall 18 is preferably of substantially the same thin section as the cup portion 26 between the ribs 20. Also, if desired, the ribs 26 may terminate below or free of flange 28.

The device is preferably molded in a single piece so that all parts are integral. The material of which the device is molded is preferably live rubber, although synthetic rubber or certainsynthetic resins, such as vinyl chloride copolymer and polyethylene, may be employed, if desired. All walls of the device are of thin section to accommodate ready deforming and flexing thereof, with the thickness at each location being a minimum consistent with the characteristics ofthe material asirequired for normal retention of the desired' shape -ofthedevice, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and consistent with restoration of the desired shape after flexing thereof-incident to which has little tendency either to slow the motion'of' the 'ball or to deflect the ball. Thewall portion 18 'collapses under the weight of the ball; 7 Preferably wall portion is collapsibleby a weight less'than theweight of the hall. The area contacted'by the'ball tends to lie flat over the base 10, as illustrated at the right in Fig. 2,

as the ball rolls thereagainst; The'collapsing action entails a substantial flattening of the flange 28 at the por tion in the path'of the ball, as also; illustrated 'in' Fig. 2.

,The portion of the base 10 against which the cup'portion 18 and the flange portion 28 are collapsed by the ball preferably has a smooth upper surface, and the projections 14 upon the base 10 are preferably located inwardly of the area or marginal portion against which the cup parts 18 and 2S collapse.

One characteristic of interest in the device is that, although the cup portions 18 and 28 are continuous circumferentially, the entire cup is not deformed when a ball rolls thereover. Instead, the flexing of the cup is localized at the area over which the ball rolls. This provides stability of 'the'device for its intended purpose, and in particular insures the retention in normal position of the portion of' the cup opposite that at which the ball enters so as to serve as a stop impeding continued progressof the ball after it has entered the cup area.

The projections or lugs 14 are of a height not greatly exceeding the combined thickness of the base 10 and'the. flange 28' so as to provide minimum resistanceto rolling of the ball into the 'cup. At the sametimethe projections are of such cross-sectional dimension as to possess some flexibility so as to yield under the weight offthe. ball and to absorb asubstantial part of any tendency of the ball to bounce upon the base 10 within-the cup-area. Also, yielding of these projections serves to rapidly slow down the progress of the ball as it rolls into the cup, thereby reducing the force of impact which the opposite wall of the cup must sustain in stopping the'progress of the ball within the cup. 7 a

The reinforcing ribs'ZO preferably project only from the inner surface of the cup wall portion 18 so that the outer surface of said cup wall portion is smooth and is entirely free of any ribs or projections which would interfere with or tendto deflect a ball rolled there against or thereover.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig.

4, the bottom wall 10', flange'16', cup wall portion 18" and upper flange28' are substantially the same as in the preferred embodiment. A separate layer or portionof sponge rubber 30 is mounted on the center of the bottom wall 10' to constitutea portion yielding under the Weight of a ball and replacing theflexible fingers 14 of the-pre ferred embodiment'as means to slow the progress ofa ball after it passes into the cup and to reduce bouncing 40 adapted to lie-substantially flat'upon' a supporting surface 42 and tapering in its cross-sectional thickness to a marginal feather edge. An annular cup wall portion 44 merges with the annularifllange 40. The cup wall 44 has a generally tapered shape and merges with the flange 40 in a gradual curve and is curved in an axial direction so that its uppermost marginal portion is substantially vertical. series substantially uniformly'spaced and of uniform character projecting from the innerface'of the wall from a. point adjacent to the plane of the supporting surface 42 to substantially the upperedge thereof. Thus it will be noted that both the bottom wall 10 and the flange-28 of the preferred embodiment have beenomitted in this embodiment although either'or boththereof may be used, as will be'apparent. The Wall thickness of the cup portion 44 between the ribs 46 will be sutficient to accommodiate localized yielding or deforming of the Weight of a ball passed thereover.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have:

been illustrated and described, it will beunderstood that.

changes in the construction may; be made within thescope:

. of the invention.

of the appended claims without departing from the spirit in and adjacent to the path of said game membenisaidi cup wall portion including a plurality of cifcumferentially: spaced thickened rib portions extendingsubstantiallyfull height thereof, the'cup wall 'portionsbetweenfand .below" said rib portions being thinner than said base at the: junction of said cup with said base, the outer surface of? said cup portion being substantialy smooth throughout. its circumference andsaid ribs projecting.:atrthe;inner surface of said cup portion spaced from saidbase, said base being of lesser thickness inwardly of said cup-Mall portion than at the junction ofsaid. cup'wvallporti'on: therewith. L

a 2. A' game device adapted toreceive'andentrap a:.ball',l. comprising an integral flexible bodyv of :resilie'nt materiah having a base sheet including athin marginal flange :portion and a.-.thin cup wall :portion :tapering upwardly and? inwardly in spaced substantially centered: relationato the 1 edge of said flange portion, said cup wall portion normally retaining its shapebut yieldableunder the weight: of a rolling game member to substantially flat position in a limited area in and adjacentto the path. of :said' game; member, said cup wall portion including a .pluralityJQt. integral circumferentially spaced inwardly projecting ribs extending substantially full height thereof but terminating in slightly spaced'relation to the junction of said cupwall portion with said base to define a circular hingingpon tionaccommodating localized yielding of said cup! to flat form. 7

3. A game 'device as defined in claim. 2..and yielding.v means carried by .thecentralportion ofsaid basesheet within said cup: portion for absorbingrebound of the. resilient game member.-

4. A game device as. defined in claim 2 and agroupof small flexible flngers' projecting upwardly. from the central portion of said base sheet and spaced from said cup wall portion, t a t 5. A game device as defined'in claimZ and a substan tially flat horizontal inwardly projectingthin flexible flange.

projecting inwardly fromthe upper edge of said'wall 'por' tion and deformable by a game member.

Thickened ribs46 extend in a circumferential the cup under 7 6. A game device as defined in claim 1 and an annular fiat thin flexible shape-retaining substantially horizontal flange projecting inwardly from the upper edge of said cup Wall portion and yieldable under the Weight of said rolling game member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

